The final press conference for Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford super fight was supposed to be a celebration of boxing’s biggest night in years. Instead, UFC CEO Dana White briefly stole the spotlight when he clashed with a reporter over questions about the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act. On September 11, veteran boxing reporter Sean Zittel asked White about TKO Group’s reported lobbying efforts to amend the Ali Act legislation designed to protect boxers’ rights and limit promoter overreach.
The Ali Act, passed in 2000, requires financial transparency from promoters and is widely regarded as one of the key safeguards for fighters in a fragmented sport. With White’s TKO reportedly eyeing a greater foothold in boxing, the law has become a point of tension.
White Fires Back
Rather than address the substance of the question, White bristled at Zittel’s line of inquiry.
“Listen, if you want to be an a**hole, let’s do it in private, and we can do an interview,” White snapped. Moments later, he escalated further, dismissing Zittel with a blunt, “Beat it.”
The exchange briefly derailed the press conference, adding an undercurrent of hostility to an already intense atmosphere.
Fans and Fighters Push Back
White’s sharp tone, combined with earlier comments from Max Kellerman praising him as combat sports’ greatest promoter, only fueled the crowd’s unease. Canelo Alvarez himself had already stepped in to defend boxing’s stature when Kellerman suggested White could “save” the sport, drawing loud boos from fans.
The Ali Act flashpoint served as yet another reminder of the cultural and structural divide between MMA’s UFC-style monopoly model and boxing’s decentralized, regulation heavy framework.
White’s refusal to engage on the Ali Act and his clash with Zittel may have been a side note on a historic fight week, but it underscored the scrutiny that will continue to follow any attempt by TKO or the UFC boss to bring their model into boxing. For now, Alvarez vs. Crawford remains the story, but the questions White dodged aren’t going away anytime soon.
Jean Silva Adds Paulo Costa to His Enemies List Ahead of Noche UFC
Welcome to Dice City Sports — where we provide premium, exclusive, up-to-date news and analysis surrounding the Las Vegas sports scene. Follow along on social media, and check back for new articles daily!
Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
